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May Showers |
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Written by Jason Mahokey
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Thursday, 18 May 2006 |
Wow, after a pretty nice early spring here in Western PA we're getting HAMMERED with rain. It could some time until my knobs meet dirt. So I'll be stepping up my time on the road and on the trainer. It's like base training all over again.
Big miles on the road will be ok though. I have the Mohican 100 coming up and not long after that my first 24 hour solo of the year, so some long miles in the saddle will be needed anyway.
As I prepped my road bike the other night for the following day's ride, I noticed the my tires were Kojak bald. So, it's time for some new ones. I've been using my stock of $9 Maxxis close-out specials that I bought up like two years now, but my stock is dry. Damn.
After going back and forth on my new tire choice, between the Maxxis Detonator and the Panaracer Extreme Duro I ended up going the Panaracer route. Big Al and his review here on the site convinced me to go with the Extreme Duro. I went with the 700 x 25s. They should be more than able to take what the crusty turd roads of WPA can throw at 'em.
 My hesitations to go with Panaracers from the start is; 1. I've had some SERIOUS good luck running Maxxis road tires and I'm not one to fix what ain't broke. And 2. What's up with the grandpa pants brown side walls??
I mean you're putting them on "fast as fart" road bikes, I say make the rider "feel" fast if nothing else. I say go with all black or a color like red a color often associated with Panaracer.
Oh well, durability is what I'm looking for in a road tire. I want a tire that will let me pump, ride and not worry too much about punctures and tears. What good is a super light tacky tire if you're at the side of the road for 15 minutes, looking like a spandex clad dumb ass trying to get a tire pumped up to 120 psi with a hand pump because your C02 inflator got jacked up (not that that's ever happened to me).
I think the Duros will work out just fine. If they are half as good as the Panaracer mountain tires I've used (Cinders, Fire Pros, & Trail Blasters) I'll be pretty stoked.
On the subject of road riding...
Even though my heart belongs to the dirt, and I hit the road mostly for training, sometimes I find that perfect loop or new farm road and road riding just seems to ROCK! I'm flying, carving turns, "dancing on the pedals", feeling as fuzzy as a '69 Eddy Merckx sideburn and all is right with the world. Good times.
After putting in some much hated but probably needed gym time on Monday night, Wednesday's ride provided me with one of those "fuzzy" times, dodged the rain and got a nice 2 hour+ road ride in.
I wanted to work on some leg strength so I did a lot of Ullrich-like seated hill climbing. And just as the pink clad Winer Schnitzel often does- I ended up straining my left knee a tad. DOH! Should be ok though. Some grades may be JUST too damn steep for seated climbing in 39x25. Note to self- Get a 27 tooth cog. Or a triple chain ring. Naaaaaahhhhhh.
Not sure what the rest of the week will hold. As I type it's pouring down rain yet again. Might build an ark tonight, or spin on the trainer. Weekend weather looks to be a LITTLE better, so I hope to get some more big mileage in.
God luck to the Maine Lobster Posse (aka my Bikeman.com teammates in Maine) racing this weekend. Embrace the mud. Be the mud, and kick some ass!
Later.
Jason
"The Soiled Chamois" |
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